Samsung Galaxy Note 5: 5 Things to Know in June

We’re still weeks away from the rumored Samsung Galaxy Note 5 launch but we continue to see Galaxy Note 5 rumors hint at potential specs and features. With that in mind, we take a look at a few things we think we learned about the Galaxy Note 5 this week.

In 2011, Samsung introduced its big screen Galaxy Note and S Pen stylus. Every year since then the company has produced a new Galaxy Note variant to accompany its flagship Galaxy S series. Last year it was the Galaxy S5 and Galaxy Note 4, this year it’s the Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge and a device that we’re calling Samsung Galaxy Note 5.

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 rumors have been flying around for awhile now and they’ve hinted at a number of potential features including the Galaxy Note 5 display, Galaxy Note 5 processor, and Galaxy Note 5 software. We’ve also seen Galaxy Note 5 release date details emerge. There’s a lot to sift through.

We realize that most of you probably don’t want to do that and that’s why we’re going to do it for you. We’ve been sifting through the noise in June and today we want to tell you about the most important things you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 this month.

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 Release Date

The first thing that you need to know is that the rumored Samsung Galaxy Note 5 release date hasn’t changed and probably won’t change anytime soon. In fact, it appears that the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 launch, and release, are pretty much set in stone so you’d be wise to avoid rumors that point to anything other than September.

Earlier this month, Samsung’s Executive Vice President Rhee In Jong told Bloomberg that Samsung Pay, the mobile payment platform that it confirmed with the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge, would not go live in July as planned.

Instead, Samsung says that its mobile payment platform will be pushed to September, a month that’s also host to a certain trade show that the company uses to announce new Galaxy Note products.

IFA 2015 starts September 4th in Berlin, Germany and there’s no reason to believe, at least at this point, that Samsung is going to stray from the script. The credible Galaxy Note 5 launch rumors we’ve seen point to IFA and Claire Kim, an analyst from Korea, told Bloomberg that Samsung Pay “will likely be deployed on its next Galaxy Note device.”

We’re still several months away from the Galaxy Note 5 announcement.

Galaxy Note 5 Design

We’re finally starting to see Galaxy Note 5 design rumors emerge.

A report from Naver suggests that the Galaxy Note 5 will feature a slim 7.9mm design. This is thinner than the Galaxy Note 4 design which measures 8.5mm. This is the first time that we’ve heard any specifics about the form factor and it could mean that Samsung’s making significant progress with its prototypes behind the scenes.

The publication also suggests that Samsung’s Galaxy Note 5 will come with a USB Type-C port. If the name sounds familiar, it’s probably because you heard about it after Apple announced its new MacBook on stage earlier this year.USB Type-C is the future so it’s not surprising to learn that Samsung is at least considering it for the Galaxy Note 5.

So how would this benefit Galaxy Note 5 users? Well, USB Type-C allows for data transfers up to 10Gbps. This is double that of the regular USB 3.0 standard.

The site also claims that Samsung will made the usual improvements to the Galaxy Note’s S Pen stylus though it’s not clear what that entails. Some believe that Samsung may include an auto-eject feature that will allow for the device to push the S Pen out on its own. Those rumors are based on patents though and patents often present features that are years off in the distance.

Galaxy Note 5 Battery

The Naver report also outlines a potential battery size for the Galaxy Note 5.

Thanks to comments from Samsung itself, we know that it’s focusing on a few key areas including the smartphone’s camera, the design and the battery life. So, it’s not surprising to see rumors hint at a massive Galaxy Note 5 battery. Specifically, the report suggests that we could see a 4,100 mAh on board the Note 5.

If true, this would be a significant upgrade over the 3220 mAh battery found in the Galaxy Note 4. It also could mean that Samsung’s opting for a non-removable battery. The Galaxy Note series is known for its all-day battery life and we doubt Samsung wants to take a step backward.

It’s important to note that specs often change, sometimes on short notice. So while Samsung might be throwing around a massive battery, there’s no guarantee a 4,100 mAh battery will make it in the final product.

Galaxy Note 5 Display & Processor

Samsung is reportedly throwing around two display types for the Galaxy Note 5 in addition to two processor types. We’ll start with the display.

While it’s not expected to feature curves on the edge like the Galaxy S6 Edge, the Galaxy Note 5 is rumored to have a powerful screen. Rumors suggest that the company is currently testing two display types, a Quad HD panel and an Ultra HD display. The Naver report points to a 5.89-inch Quad HD display though we wouldn’t write off UHD just yet.

Either way, it looks like the Galaxy Note will once again come with a large, high-resolution display that’s perfect for movies, games and more. We wouldn’t worry too much about the display. It’ll be good. Samsung’s AMOLED displays always are.

As for the processor, SamMobile believes it will be one of two chips. Either the Exynos 7422 or the Exynos 7430. Both are Samsung CPUs. At this stage, the Exynos 7422 appears to be the most likely. Here’s what the Exynos 7422 could offer Galaxy Note 5 users:

The Exynos 7422 is expected to be the company’s first ever all-in-one solution (ePoP) as it will combine the CPU, GPU, RAM, storage, and modem on a single chip.

Again, this is not something we’d worry about, especially if you’re an average smartphone user. Both of these chips will be powerful enough for most people.

We Still Have a Long Way to Go

The last thing that you need to know in June is that we still have a long way to go before Galaxy Note 5 rumors mature. Right now, we have a collection of possibilities though most of what we’ve heard outside of the Galaxy Note 5 launch date is far from concrete.

This isn’t surprising. We typically see Galaxy Note rumors start to firm up in July and August as Samsung finalizes its plans and works to get the device ready for a release in the fall.

We’ve really only scratched the surface and we expect an avalanche of new Galaxy Note 5 details to emerge as we progress into the summer. At this point, take most of what you hear with a grain of salt but at this point, you can count on these things:

• A tweaked design
• A high-resolution display
• A new processor
• An improved S Pen
• An improved camera
• New Software
• A launch in and around IFA 2015